If you have two or more computers at one desk, you don't want two or more sets of keyboards and mice cluttering up your workspace, too. You can buy a hardware gadget that lets you share a single keyboard and mouse with several computers (which involves a mess of tangled wires), or you could use a free software solution called Synergy. More »

The command line can be quite powerful, but typing in long commands and file paths gets tedious pretty quickly. Here are some shortcuts that will have you running long, tedious, or complex commands with just a few keystrokes. More »

If you're out of the house a lot but still want access to files on your home computer, one of the best ways to solve that problem involves setting up your computer as a remotely accessible home media server. More »

More and more, the fragments of your life exist as particles on a disk mounted inside your computer—disks susceptible to temperature changes, power surges, fire, theft, static, and just plain wear and tear. More »

Like most Ubuntu updates, version 11.10 isn't a huge overhaul; rather, it improves on the big changes made in 11.04, by cleaning up the Dash, overhauling the Ubuntu Software Center, and bringing in some new default software. More »

Your desktop is your virtual home, and much like you're real home, customizing it to fit your needs and style can make the difference between between a drab and depressing workspace and one you're excited to work on. More »

Want to secure your computer with the same techniques used by the National Security Agency? Turns out the NSA has published guides for securing Windows, Mac, Linux, and Solaris operating systems using methods that "are currently being used throughout the government and by numerous entities as a security baseline for their systems." More »

You can customize nearly every last inch of your Linux installation to fit your liking, and it starts with choosing the right desktop environment. Whether you're a Linux beginner or you're just looking for a new interface, here's an overview of how desktop environments work and how to pick the right one for you. More »

Netbooks aren't the fastest computers, but they can be useful-as long as they're usable. If you want your netbook to work and feel like a real computer rather than a toy, I can't recommend Lubuntu enough-it makes my netbook feel like a whole new machine. More »

Lightweight Portable Security (LPS-Public) is a bootable live CD designed by the Department of Defense so that government employees can access data from a public computer without worrying about security violations. More »

The Unity-powered Ubuntu 11.04 is finally out, and with it comes a slew of new keyboard shortcuts for the Unity interface. They can seem a bit overwhelming at first, so spend a few days getting acclimated with this wallpaper-formatted shortcut list. More »

If you're in love with Arch Linux but are tired of the painstaking installation process, ArchBang is the perfect distribution for you. It has everything you love about Arch, but installs in just a few minutes with everything you need. More »

Kristóf Kovács put together a list of 20 hugely useful command-line tools, most of which are available for Linux. Many of them are somewhat obscure, improved versions of simpler (more ancient) tools, while others are staples for experienced command-line users the world over. More »

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There you have it. Despite its lower popularity, Linux is full of great tools and endless possibilities. Note that we left out a few of our more cross-platform posts to make room for the Linux-centric stuff we know you guys wanted to see—so you might want to take a quick gander at our most popular Windows
and Mac
posts of the year to check out some other Linux-compatible projects we covered this year. And, whether your favorite made the list or not, we'd love to hear about the Linux downloads and posts you loved this year in the comments. For even more Linux goodness, be sure to check out our best posts from 2010
, 2009
, and 2008
, as well.